With video: Mom's family defends her in son's heat death

The father and grandmother of a Shelby Township woman accused of killing her 2-year-old son by leaving him in a car seat unattended insist their loved one is innocent.

Johnny Rhoades, who lives near his daughter, and Marry Cattenacci of Sterling Heights attended the circuit court arraignment Monday for Audrionna Rhoades, who is charged with second-degree murder and child abuse for the death of James Nelson.

After the hearing they said they believe someone connected to Rhoades’ roommate, who was babysitting James, placed him in the car while he was sleeping.

“I think somebody put him in there ... while visiting her, and she just forgot,” Johnny Rhoades said. “I don’t think anyone did it on purpose.”

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Cattenacci added, “We’re not looking necessarily to hang anyone out to dry. We just want the truth and don’t think she should go to prison for 20 years for something she didn’t do.”

Rhoades, 21, has denied placing her son in the van in a police interview.

She is accused of leaving James in a van parked at her mobile home at about 8:30 a.m. Sept. 3 before she left for work until he was found 9-1/2 hours later. James died from excessive heat. Prosecutors claim her reckless disregard for her son’s safety warranted the murder charge.

Jennifer Walden, who lived in Rhoades’ mobile home with the defendant, James and her own son, also denied she placed the boy inside the vehicle.

Rhoades’ defense attorney, Randy Rodnick, at the hearing gained approval from Judge Jennifer Faunce of Macomb County Circuit Court to hire two investigators, one to look into potential witnesses in the neigborhood. He said he has seen emails and texts from people who claim they have information.

The second expert would be a psychiatrist or psychologist to study Rhoades mental state as a “potential defense,” Rodnick said. Rhoades was hospitalized for a mental breakdown for several days after her son died, before her arrest. She has since been found mentally competent to stand trial.

Rodnick called the case against his client “highly circumstantial” but declined to discuss defense strategy.

Rodnick is also contesting the admissibility of Rhoades’ statement to police. A hearing on the issue was set for April 2, when a pretrial also will be held in the Mount Clemens courthouse.

Rhoades, wearing an inmate jumpsuit, appeared nervous at the hearing. She is being held in jail in lieu of a $500,000 bond.

About the Author

My beat is the courts of Macomb County and general assignment.
Read more of Jameson Cook's court coverage on his blog http://courthousedish.blogspot.com/ Reach the author at jamie.cook@macombdaily.com
or follow Jameson on Twitter: @jamesoncook.